360MW Bidders Get One-Month Extension

The Office of Utilities Regulations (OUR) yesterday gave energy firms more than one month’s extension to July 29 to submit final proposals for the 360-megawatt project.

The original date was June 17 for the companies vying for the project, including Armorview Holdings, Azurest-Cambridge, Energy World International Limited, the Jamaica Public Service Company and Optimal Energy.

The OUR is also extending the time frame to select the highest ranked entities from July 12 to August 29. The agency will subsequently finalise negotiation of the project agreements by November 21.

Construction of the plant is expected to begin January 20, 2014, while commissioning of the new capacity is set for two years later on January 2016.

The 360MW project, which is expected to introduce LNG to the fuel, is the primary means by which Government plans to slash energy costs by about one-third. In the process, it will replace old generating units, some of which were commissioned four decades ago.